Racing 2011 Velux 5 Oceans: Wellington Start

2011 Velux 5 Oceans: Wellington Start

In wet, windy conditions, the fleet set out from Wellington Harbor, bound for Punta del Este, Uruguay. Photos by Ainhoa Sanchez/VELUX 5 OCEANS Follow the racing in the Finish Line forum.

By Sailing World Staff

February 7, 2011

20110206 Ainhoa Sanchez/VELUX 5 OCEANS Free for editorial use image, please credit: Ainhoa Sanchezr/w-w-i.com VELUX 5 OCEANS skipper Chris Stanmore-Major onboard his yacht Spartan at the start of Ocean Sprint 3, from Wellington New Zealand to Punta del Este Uruguay. Chris Stanmore-Major has only just got back from sailing round the world as a skipper in the Clipper Round the World Race as as skipper of Qingdao, the Chinese entry and already he is straight into his next adventure – the VELUX 5 OCEANS. Chris, originally from Paignton, now lives on the Isle of Wight, spent many years working in the far east and has got his hands on one of the most proven Eco 60 yachts there is, Sir Robin Knox Johnston’s Grey Power. The yacht saw Sir Robin to fourth place in the last edition of the race, and has previously won the race as Fila raced by Giovanni Soldini and is now called Spartan. The VELUX 5 OCEANS is the oldest single-handed round the world yacht race. Run every 4 years since 1982, the race is the longest and toughest event for any individual in any sport. The race is a series of five high-pressure ocean sprints within a marathon circumnavigation. The 30,000 route takes the sailors from La Rochelle FR to Cape Town SA, then onto Wellington NZ, Punta del Este Uruguay, Charleston USA and back to La Rochelle FR, for the finish. For further VELUX 5 OCEANS images go to http://www.w-w-i.com/velux_5_oceans_2010_race/ For media enquiries contact: Sarah Hames at: [email protected] or call her on + 44 (0)7813 009 783. For content related enquiries contact [email protected] on call +44 (0)845 900 2 900. This image is copyright Ainhoa Sanchez/VELUX 5 OCEANS. The author is asserting his full Moral rights in relation to the publication of this image. Rights for onward transmission of this image or file is not granted or implied. Changing or deleting Copyright information is illegal as specified in the Copyright, Design and Patents Act 1988. If you are in any way unsure of your Ainhoa Sanchez/w-w-i.com

20110206 Ainhoa Sanchez/VELUX 5 OCEANS Free for editorial use image, please credit: Ainhoa Sanchez/w-w-i.com VELUX 5 OCEANS skipper Brad Van Liew onboard his yacht Le Pingouin at the start of Ocean Sprint 3, from Wellington New Zealand to Punta del Este, Uruguay. Brad Van Liew is a self proclaimed adrenaline junkie with a vast array of extreme sports behind him. A lifelong sailor, Brad had set his heart competing in the BOC Challenge, which would in 2005 be renamed the VELUX 5 OCEANS and in 1998 his dream was realised when he competed in the Around Alone finishing third in class two. Brad lives in Charleston, South Carolina, USA and his new yacht Le Pingouin, which he bought in France last year, has a rich racing pedigree. The VELUX 5 OCEANS is the oldest single-handed round the world yacht race. Run every 4 years since 1982, the race is the longest and toughest event for any individual in any sport. The race is a series of five high-pressure ocean sprints within a marathon circumnavigation. The 30,000 route takes the sailors from La Rochelle FR to Cape Town SA, then onto Wellington NZ, Punta del Este Uruguay, Charleston USA and back to La Rochelle FR, for the finish. For further VELUX 5 OCEANS images go to http://www.w-w-i.com/velux_5_oceans_2010_race/ For media enquiries contact: Sarah Hames at: [email protected] or call her on + 44 (0)7813 009 783. For content related enquiries contact [email protected] on call +44 (0)845 900 2 900. This image is copyright Ainhoa Sanchez/VELUX 5 OCEANS. The author is asserting his full Moral rights in relation to the publication of this image. Rights for onward transmission of this image or file is not granted or implied. Changing or deleting Copyright information is illegal as specified in the Copyright, Design and Patents Act 1988. If you are in any way unsure of your right to publish this image please contact [email protected] Ainhoa Sanchez/w-w-i.com

The VELUX 5 OCEANS is the oldest single-handed round the world yacht race. Run every 4 years since 1982, the race is the longest and toughest event for any individual in any sport. The race is a series of five high-pressure ocean sprints within a marathon circumnavigation. The 30,000 route is La Rochelle to Cape Town, then onto Wellington, Salvador, South Carolina before finishing in La Rochelle. For further VELUX 5 OCEANS images go to http://www.w-w-i.com velux_5_oceans_2010_race/ For media enquiries contact: Sarah Hames at: [email protected] or + 44 (0)7813 009 783. This image is copyright the photographer 2010©. This image has been supplied by onEdition and must be credited AinhoaSnchez/VELUX5OCEANS. The author is asserting his full Moral rights in relation to the publication of this image. All rights reserved. Rights for onward transmission of any image or file is not granted or implied. Changing or deleting Copyright information is illegal as specified in the Copyright, Design and Patents Act 1988. If you are in any way unsure of your right to publish this image please contact w-w-i.com or Ainhoa Sanchez AinhoaSanchez

20110206 © onEdition 2010 Free for editorial use image, please credit: onEdition/w-w-i.com VELUX 5 OCEANS skipper Gutek (Zbigniew Gutkowski) onboard his yacht Operon Racing at the start of Ocean Sprint 3, from Wellington New Zealand to Punta del Este, Uruguay. Zbigniew Gutkowski is one of Poland’s best known and most experienced sailors with a wealth of offshore and inshore racing. Known as ‘Gutek’ and from Gdansk, he has experience sailing in a wide range of mono and multihulls and has clocked up ore than 100,000 miles in his bid to become the first Polish sailor ever to race solo around the world. The VELUX 5 OCEANS is the oldest single-handed round the world yacht race. Run every 4 years since 1982, the race is the longest and toughest event for any individual in any sport. The race is a series of five high-pressure ocean sprints within a marathon circumnavigation. The 30,000 route takes the sailors from La Rochelle FR to Cape Town SA, then onto Wellington NZ, Punta del Este Uruguay, Charleston USA and back to La Rochelle FR, for the finish. For further VELUX 5 OCEANS images go to http://www.w-w-i.com/velux_5_oceans_2010_race/ For media enquiries contact: Sarah Hames at: [email protected] or call her on + 44 (0)7813 009 783. For content related enquiries contact [email protected] on call +44 (0)845 900 2 900. This image is copyright onEdition/w-w-i.com. The author is asserting his full Moral rights in relation to the publication of this image. Rights for onward transmission of this image or file is not granted or implied. Changing or deleting Copyright information is illegal as specified in the Copyright, Design and Patents Act 1988. If you are in any way unsure of your right to publish this image please contact [email protected] onEdition/w-w-i.com